The present invention relates to a system and method for automatically turning the pages of a book, magazine, or any bound printed matter in the forward or reverse directions.
Page turning is an important ancillary process of reading. It is a pervasive task that many people take for granted. An automatic page turner can assist people with disabilities and the elderly, who may have limited upper extremity function. A page turner can also furnish hands-free operation to musicians, and provide avid readers with convenient book support and page turning features.
While there are many patents on the subject of automatic page turners, virtually none of them have led to successful working products. This is due to the fact that all of the patents lack one or two of the three major functions of a successful page turner: engagement with the page, transport of the page, and restraining the book pages to lie flat. The prior art is replete with designs that are too bulky, noisy, unreliable, or burden the user with the requirement to attach clips or tabs to each page.
Some relevant patents in this area include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,195 to Claypool et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,334 to Willis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,675 to Berger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,712 to Moreau et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,248 to Carr et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,900 to Fitzgerald, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,772 to Shemoul, U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,943 to Horikawa, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,097 to Chou et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,801 to Bowman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,033 to Dallas.
The present invention seeks to remedy the defects of the prior art.